The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-06-14

| the early autumn. Captain Jack Kali
ney had muster every week, and the
tramp. tramp, tramp of the gathering
squadrons shattered the SlumberOus
depths of the barrens.
knew that Doe had met Lucy Pax
on at the frolic, and knew that he
bad followed her every movement with
fascinated gaze. She was not grown
up. but she was .most grown, they
Young men chose her for partner
when they played "all around the
merry pole" and Doc sat and watched
her.
These were stirring times. Men and
women shattered the letters of conven-
tionality and grew from boys TO men
and from girls to women with marvel
Gus rapidity.
At a candy-pulling Doe pulled candy
with her. The way of it was that they
all played lonesome, and a they
needed one more To be the lonesome
one" and he was induced, much
| against his will, To join. His success
emboldened him, and so the boy and
the girl pulled candy, and both were
SO painfully conscious of their own
youthfulneSs that they pulled in silence.
Lucy's brother John was nearly
eighteen. He was a dutiful boy and
for her and for Lucy and they lived
well.
Again spring gladdened the earth
with her spirituelle beauty. But there
was not az much boisterousness at the
annual "log-rolling" As usual. In
fact, there were very few log-rollingS.
Mothers and daughters and younger
sons pulled the fallen trees together
the best they could and burned them.
Women i'm big sunbonnets, kept from
Hopping over their eyes by wooden
"splits" inserted in the crown, graSped
the pillow handles, while .'tucking
strings" gipled about their waists kept
the skirts from trailing i'm the dirt.
All. they were made of superior mettlc.
these women of the barrens were.
That spring we had To work great
deal harder and had less time for
fishing than before. Doc helped us.
He was industrious, though still L"
weakling compared with other lads.
The first time l saw him twirl a
strand of golden love vine over his
head and east ii OH the bushes | was
amused. Doe told me that he had
named it Lucy Paxton" and if il
grew he would know that she loved
him. and if not he would be disap-
pointed. He was getting too deep for
our philosophy then.
A whole Year rolled away. and on
the next spring the love vine reap
peared and grew on the bushes. Doc
saw it too. and he was Pleased-great-
" pleased. He was not an ardent
lover. He worshipped nj Il distance.
The Young fellows who came home on
furloughs were very gallant and defer
entail toward Lucy. This must have
worried Doc, but he never gave any
sign.
Then came that call for men; that
plucking of the very flower of Southern
chivalry. o, remorseless war!
John Paxton was eighteen, and he
must 90 TO the war and leave his
mother and Lucy to fight the harder
battle at home. The 'enrolling Of
ficcr." that agent of war whose APP
proach was dreaded so much, he told us
that.
When he left Doe followed him out
to the gate. After short talk the of
ficer departed after shaking Doc by the
hand.
sT've learned somethin'." he said.
with a radiant face, when he came
back. 1.-THE enrolling officer says that
John can stay at home if he can get
substitute. I'm gwine to be his sub
stitute."
Of course John Paxton did not want
to agree to the proposition. 1t looked
unmanly for him TO stay and send Il
little fellow like Doc, but the latter
argued: Il amt got nobody to keer
for, an if get hurt nobody'n be the
loser. You've got Mis- Paxton and
and-Lucy," he stammered, IAN YOU
ought to stay an make the crap. Be
sides, / want TO git to be big Giner'l
some time, maybe. an then, fll-Tll
well, l want to 90. anyhow, an I'm
gwine as your substitute" And he
went.
Poor little Doc! Friend and play
mate of our childhood. His delicate
form that had been SO nOurished and
cherished by his doting mother-and
our mother had loved him as one of
her they brought him home,
wasted with privation and hardship,
and the hectic fever burned on his
cheeks, he looked very much like our